Washing-machine



j UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN GARDNER, SR., 0F CARLISLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 51,4114. (latedDecember l2, 1865.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MARTIN GARDNER, Sr., ofCarlisle, in the county of Cumberland and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for WashingClothes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference being had to theaocompan yingdrawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure lrepresents an elevation from one ofthe sides of the machine. Fig. 2represents a vertical longitudinal section through the same, with therubbing-board omitted to show the parts otherwise concealed by it. Fig.3 represents a section through the rubber. Fig. et represents a top planof the rubber.

Similar letters of reference, where they occur in the separate figures,denote like parts in all the drawings.

Myinvention consists in passiu g short shafts through the sides of thebox, which have guides fastened to them on the inside ofthe box, andwhich guides receive and retain the rubbingsegment, and allow it to riseand fall while it is operated from the outside by a lever or otherequivalent device; and it further con-x sists in restraining the descentof the rubbingsegment by means of arms resting upon adjustableeecentrios, while said segment is free to rise in yielding to thevariable thickness of the clothes underneath it.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe thesame with reference to the drawings.

A represents a washing-box, supported by legs B and furnish edwithatight lid, G, hinged or otherwise, so as to gain ready access tothe interior. In the inside of the box I arrange in a semicircular forma series of beaded rollers, D, so set as that the swells on one rollshall lit into the recesses ofthe next adjacent roll, the differentdiameters thus working in juxtaposition, with, of course, differentvelocities, causing a rubbing operation, and serving to spread out theclothes and prevent their rolling up into masses.

Through the sides of the box, and opposite to each other, are introducedthrough sleeves or packing-boxes, so as to prevent the water frompassing out, short shafts E, one of which may be furnished with a leveror handle, F, for

operating it, and the rubbing-section G, which is connected to saidshafts. To the inner ends of these shafts, inside of the wash-box, arefastened guides or ways H, over which the rubbing-section is set, andupon which it may rise and fall by means of its guides or slats I I,which form a groove to receive the guides H. These guides or ways alsoserve as the medium of the shaft-connection with the rubbing segnient orsection G, so that the latter may be vibrated by means of the lever F,the segment itself thus becoming a part of the shaft, as it connectswith and is moved by them. While the segment G is thus operated by thelever on one of the short shafts, it can rise to accommodate itself tothe thickness of the clothes under it; but to prevent it from droppingso low as that its slats K should come in contact with the rolls D, andthus possibly injure the clothes, I regulate the extentA of its downwardmotion, while its upward motion remains unchecked, by means of bearers Lon the inside of the box, that receive the journals or arms M on therubbing-section G. These arms or bearers L are adjusted by means ofeccentrics N on the inside of the box, which eceentries may be turnedand held at the properly-adjusted position by ratchet-wheels 0 on theoutside of the box, controlled and held when adjusted by the dogs orpawls P.- Thus the rubbingsegment may be set to work nearer to orfarther from the rollers D, as the nature, quality, or quantity of thematerial to be washed may demand.

While the rubbing-segment G is thus united to the shafts and controlledin its descent by the bearers L, it is free to be lifted out of thewash-box without detaching or loosening anything, the bearers swingingup and outward with it. Thus the clothes may be put in or taken outquite readily.

Q is a soap-box at one end of the machine.

One of the main advantages of this manner of connecting therubbing-segment with and operatin g it by the shafts passing through thesides of the wash-box is that the lid and box may be tight and withoutopenings, and thus preserve the temperature of the hot water for alonger period.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. The shortshafts and their guides, con nected and combined with therubbing-segmeans of the hinged bearers, ecceutrics, and turning andholding ratchet and dog, substantially as described.

MARTIN GARDNER, SEN.

Witnesses:

JOHN MARTIN, ALBERT GARDNER.

